When Can You Wear Makeup After Facial Plastic Surgery?

In the case of facial plastic surgery, whether it’s a facelift, eyelid lift or rhinoplasty, things often look worse before they look better. During the first few days after your surgery, you will most likely have some swelling, bruising, and redness. While you might want to reach for the concealer and foundation to cover up, depending on the type of surgery, your best option is usually to wait or to follow the instructions given by your surgeon.

Eye Makeup

If you don’t feel fully dressed without a bit of mascara or a touch of eyeliner, you might be itching to put on your eye makeup soon after your surgery. But, when you can get back to your regular eye makeup routines depends on several factors. After a rhinoplasty, your surgeon may give you the all-clear to start wearing mascara and other eye cosmetics the day after your procedure.

After eyelid surgery, though, your best option is to wait for some time before you start using eyeliner or eyeshadow again. Your eye area will be tender and delicate for the first week or so after surgery, and any cosmetics applied in the area can exacerbate the sensitivity. Another reason to hold off on eye makeup after eyelid surgery is to give the incisions ample time to heal. If makeup gets into the still-healing incisions, there’s a chance that it can permanently discolor the area, giving you a tattoo of sorts.

You’ll want to use extra care when applying eye makeup after your surgery. It’s usually a good idea to start fresh after eyelid surgery or another procedure, with completely new bottles or tubes of mascara.Your older products can have bacteria on them, which can lead to an infection in the still healing surgical area.

Don’t forget to take off your eye makeup at the end of the day. Sleeping in it can irritate your eyes and make your skin upset. Whether you’ve had nasal surgery, an eyelid lift or a facelift, be very gentle when taking off your eye makeup. Pads or wipes that are soaked in makeup remover are often the way to go. Using them reduces the chance that you’ll get the cast or splint wet, if you’re still wearing one. Wipes or pads also make removing makeup easy when you’re very tired.

Concealer and Foundation

There are a few basic rules when it comes to applying concealer or foundation after facial plastic surgery. Rule number one is don’t get the cosmetics on or in the incision. You might want to try to cover up your incision areas, but putting makeup on them can permanently discolor them. In most cases, your incisions will be barely visible anyway, because they are in the hairline or just under the nose, so your safest bet is to leave them alone.

What type of concealer you use depends on what you are covering up. If you have bruising, a yellow-toned concealer may provide the best coverage. Try using a green concealer to hide redness. The green tint helps cancel out the red. Some makeup products are specifically made to camouflage bruising after surgery. You can look for these at higher end makeup stores or talk to your surgeon about where to find them.

What to Expect

Even with the priciest camouflage makeup products, it’s best not to expect a miracle after your surgery. The best thing to do is give your face time to heal. Cosmetics can cover up or minimize discoloration, but they won’t eliminate it. If you find yourself very bothered or upset by the way you look as you heal, it might be helpful to cover up or remove some of the mirrors from your home. Once the bruising and swelling has decreased, you’ll start to feel like yourself again and may feel more comfortable looking in the mirror or getting back to your old makeup routine.

Before you put anything on your face after surgery, whether it’s makeup or a moisturizer, it’s best to consult with your surgeon. A facial plastic surgeon, such as Dr. Michael Schwartz in Palm Beach, Florida, can give you pointers on the products to check out and when it’s safe to start using them. To learn more about facial plastic surgery and the use of makeup afterwards, call 561-228-5888 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Schwartz today.